


Never

by PeppermintTchaikovsky



Category: The Iliad - Homer, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 18:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4110174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppermintTchaikovsky/pseuds/PeppermintTchaikovsky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patroclus doesn't realize that he's been turned into a vampire and Achilles must care for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never

“Hey, what’s up with your neck?” Achilles asked Patroclus, seeing a flash of angry looking skin.  
“It’s nothing. I must've scratched it in the night or something.” Patroclus responded.  
“It looks painful.” Achilles mused as he tenderly ran his fingers over the wound. Patroclus shivered slightly at his touch and looked at him with his dark, round eyes.  
“It’s fine. I promise.” He assured him.  
Content with this answer, Achilles and Patroclus left for work. Everything Patroclus tried to teach to his history students went completely over their heads until he started talking about Vlad the Impaler and his influence over politics in Wallachia. Typical. he thought, that the students would rather hear about blood, guts, and gore than anything else. Though, Patroclus could hardly blame them.  
The sun shone brightly as the school day came to a close. Patroclus smiled as his last class of students took the last of their notes and put away their binders. Patroclus was not normally so excited to see them leave but it was a Friday, and the sooner they were out his door, the sooner he would be able to see Achilles.  
Patroclus usually enjoyed the sun, but now it seemed to burn him. He wished the clouds and fog of the early morning would come back and give him a break. He supposed it was not truly as bad as he made it and he was just tired. When he finally reached his house he sat on the couch and groaned softly. Everything hurt and all he wanted was to fall asleep.  
Achilles’ day was not much better. He was constantly worrying over Patroclus and the cut on his neck because it seemed unlikely that he would accidentally cut himself in his sleep. Once he got home he realised he was right to worry. Patroclus was shirtless and laying on his stomach on the couch with a bottle of aloe vera on the table.  
“What did you do to yourself?” Achilles asked as he rushed to his side.  
“It’s just sunburn.” Patroclus tried to assure him.  
“What did you do? Teach all of your classes on the beach today?” Achilles started to gently rub the aloe on Patroclus’s shoulders.  
“Hardly, all I did was walk home.” Patroclus groaned. Achilles sighed and kept rubbing Patroclus’s shoulders. Achilles reached a particularly burnt patch of skin and Patroclus gasped softly.  
“Darling.” Achilles whispered.  
“I’m fine. Really.” He said as he flinched again.  
“I really don’t think you are. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” Achilles asked.  
“It’s just as sunburn.”  
“You spent less than thirty minutes in the sun today and you’re from Turkey for god's’ sake. You should not have blisters on your skin from the sun.” Achilles reasoned. he was beginning to be more than annoyed with his companion.  
“You’re positive that you’re not hiding anything from me?” Achilles asked.  
“You’d think I’d keep something from you?” Patroclus asked, hurt.  
“Let’s just say I think Agamemnon might be able to convince you to keep quiet about an accident.” Patroclus shuddered slightly, partially from the coolness of the aloe and partially at the memory of the Physics teacher.  
“Nothing happened.” He said. Achilles pressed a kiss to the top of Patroclus's head. His curls smelled like moroccan oil and they were soft against his cheeks.  
“I’ll love you no matter what.” Achilles sighed.  
“And I’ll love you too.” Patroclus whispered.  
With a small groan, Achilles pulled Patroclus to his feet and took him in his arms, careful to avoid the sunburn, and carried him up the stairs. It pained Achilles to see Patroclus so dependant on another, even if that other was him. He gently placed Patroclus on the bed and tried to ease him out of the rest of his clothes and into a nightshirt.  
Achilles laid down on the bed next to Patroclus and he grabbed his hand. Their wedding bands clicked against each other and it made them smile. Achilles ran his thumb over Patroclus’s knuckles until he thought he was asleep. Once Achilles himself succumbed to sleep, he dreamt of Agamemnon and his beloved. The mere thought of it roused his fury.  
***

The next morning, Achilles awoke to Patroclus sitting in a chair completely shielded from the sunlight.  
“You’re up early.” Achilles said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.  
“Yeah.” Patroclus said weakly.  
“What’s wrong?” Achilles said as he moved to the edge of the bed.  
“The sunlight hurts.” Patroclus explained.  
“We’re inside. That shouldn't happen.” Achilles pointed out.  
“I know.” Patroclus moved towards the bed and it did not escape Achilles’s attention that he visibly flinched when he walked past a spot of sunlight.  
“I’ll get you a jacket and maybe a hat. It’s probably just the sunburn.” Achilles reasoned. He was doing an awful lot of that lately.  
Patroclus seemed considerably more comfortable with the jacket. He thanked Achilles profusely, but didn’t say much more about it. Everything progressed as it normally would until lunch.  
“Darling, what did you make today?” Patroclus asked eyeing the food on his plate with disgust. It smelled terrible, it reeked and he swallowed. He didn’t want to offend Achilles, but it smelled disgusting.  
“This thing I found online with brie, tomatoes, garlic-,” Achilles listed before Patroclus cut him off.  
“No.” Patroclus said.  
“No? What’s wrong with it?" Achilles asked baffled and slightly angry at himself for upsetting Patroclus.  
“It’s just- I’m sorry, my dear, but it smells like a dead cat and I don’t have any appetite.” Patroclus said. Achilles didn’t quite understand where he was coming from but he complied anyway. He tried to hold his hand but he was stopped.  
“Please wash your hands first. I just feel like it’s all unclean,” Patroclus felt horrible for sending Achilles away like that but his skin still crawled at the thought of that food and anything that had touched that food.  
Patroclus went to go find Achilles to apologize but before he could he managed to somehow break his chair when he tried to push it in. It made him feel worse and needles of pain shot through his hand. Once he found Achilles he had a carefully thought out apology that he was unable to give because he started bawling.  
“What’s wrong?” Achilles asked his husband as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders.  
“I’m just sorry I snapped at you and now my hand hurts,” Patroclus sniffled. I broke Achilles’ heart to see him so distressed.  
“It’s okay, darling, I’m not upset. Do you want some ice?” Achilles asked. Patroclus only shook his head and started to cry harder.  
“It hurts, Achilles,” Patroclus sobbed.  
“What hurts? I can try to help?” Achilles said. he was on the verge of tears, himself.  
“Everything, especially my hand and my head,” Patroclus answered almost incoherently.  
Gently, Achilles led Patroclus to the bed and got him advil and some water. He laid with him for hours. Patroclus’s pain did not go away. It hurt Achilles that he could do nothing as Patroclus sobbed and shook. Around three, Patroclus bolted out of the bed and locked himself in the bathroom.  
“Patroclus?” Achilles asked as he knocked on the door. When he didn’t answer he became more frantic.  
“Are you okay?” He asked through the door.  
“It hurts,” He said. Achilles flinched at the thought of Patroclus shaking behind the door.  
“Are you sure?” He mentally beat himself up for not noticing something was wrong with Patroclus’s health before. If he had noticed he was sick, he would have not let him go to work and he wouldn’t have gotten sunburnt. Achilles supposed there was nothing he can do except help his husband get better.  
Once Patroclus changed his clothes, Achilles made him get back to bed.  
“I really don’t feel sick anymore,” Patroclus said, trying to calm Achilles down. Even still, his own voice was too loud.. Patroclus desperately wanted for Achilles to not worry about him. He supposed Achilles’ out of character fretting would pass with time, and his own pain would pass as well, but he decided to talk to him despite the pain.  
There was a delicious smell and an odd thumping noise.  
“Do you know if the neighbors are having a party?” He asked, tilting his head towards the noise.  
“What? No, at least, I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”  
“I smell something in the air and there’s a weird pulsing noise.” Patroclus informed him.  
“Let me feel your forehead.” Achilles told him, and he nodded. His husband reached over and touched his head, gently.  
“Holy shit, you’re freezing. Are you okay? Wait, don’t answer that. I’m taking you to the hospital.”  
Achilles quickly grabbed Patroclus’s new coat and practically carried him to the car. Everything was overwhelming. Patroclus scowled as they drove along the highway.  
“It’s not even that bad.” Patroclus tried to explain in vain. It still felt like a stake was being driven into his skull.  
“Well, you look and feel awful so I’m not taking any chance,” Achilles retorted.  
***  
As Achilles drove to the hospital the silence was almost unbearable. It hurt him to see Patroclus curled, helplessly in the seat next to him. A million different thoughts were racing through his mind.  
“Are you feeling alright?” he asked his husband.  
“Yes,” he answered through gritted teeth.  
“You’re sure?”  
“Of course I’m sure,” Patroclus snapped.  
“I just want you to be okay,” Achilles whispered, trying to calm him down.  
“I know you do, I just want to be left alone,” Patroclus yelled. Achilles was taken aback.  
Patroclus slumped back into his chair. It felt like a pike was being stuck through the back of his skull and needles were going through his eyes. His vision started dancing in and out until everything was just black.  
***  
That night, in the hospital, a shadowy figure approached Patroclus’s bedside. He could sense them before he turned his head to look, and he looked on the stranger without fright even though he was indeed frightening. He closed his eyes for a moment, and concentrated. Fangs came to mind.  
“Do not scream.” the stranger said. His low voice was sweet and inviting.  
“Who are you?” Patroclus asked. It was hard for him to find the ability or will to speak.  
“Since it is I who got you into this mess, I will help your find your way out of it.” The man told him, and the words didn’t make him feel any better.  
“What did you do to me?” Patroclus asked, his voice rough from sleep. He could see him perfectly, even in the almost complete dark. The stranger laughed, and Patroclus had a chill run up his spine.  
“I turned you. I took too much blood, and tried to heal you with my blood, but--you died. Pardon my rude manners. but you were delicious. Are you Greek?” The man who claimed to be a vampire inquired. His accent reminded Patroclus of older times, dark without electricity and empires fallen and passed. If the man was genuine, Patroclus had to wonder what his ancient eyes had seen.  
“I’m Turkish, actually, but I guess you should have asked that before you supposedly killed me, if what you’re telling me is true, which I suspect it isn’t.” Patroclus challenged.  
“And I’m Vrykolakas, as if it truly matters.” He said.  
“I don’t believe it does,” Patroclus snapped.  
“Listen to me, little boy. I am very old. I am older than several generations of your relatives put together and you should not treat me with so little respect. I danced with Tsarinas and queens, seen the rise and fall of nations --I am a lord by title. I’ve seen things your tiny mind would not comprehend, killed people in the hundreds, and I am more than hungry in this crowded shit hole of a town. I could have left you to die and that sweet, beautiful husband of yours would have been alone. Or maybe--” The vampire grinned, a predatory show of the teeth he had not been born with--  
“I would have gone after him once I was done with you.”  
“You’re a monster.” Patroclus hissed. The man looked thoughtful.  
“What an original insult. But unfortunately for you, this monster is your maker, and hundreds of years stronger. You need to drink human blood before sunrise or you will starve to death and die. I like the feed, snatch, erase their mind the best, but blood bags and donor bars are nice, the one in this shit hole town is at Cullen’s, filled with people wanting the pleasure of a bite. Vampire groupies are so convenient, don’t you think? Here’s a helpful hint if you want to make it past a week--find a witch to make you a daylight ring. I made the hospital staff forget you were here and destroy the records. Get blood, and go home. Goodbye.” The stranger told him, and Patroclus blinked. He was gone.  
Blood. Where was he to get that? Patroclus wondered. The man hadn’t been joking, he could tell when people were lying, the fangs hadn’t been fake. Vampires. He debated the idea, the probability, until he remembered to take a breath and smelled it. The most delicious smell he had ever smelled in his life. He looked for the source and he noticed his very full looking blood bag. He carefully took out his IV, and took the blood in his hands. He disconnected the needle, and drank through the hole. Blood was--metallic and cold. His taste buds recognized it, but after a few seconds, he drained the bag. It tasted pleasing to his sharper senses. His eyes widened. He had hated blood before, he had sucked on a paper cut a few days prior and his blood had tasted absolutely vile-- could he be a vampire? There was a heartbeat-- that was new, he could tell there were heartbeats, one coming towards his room. He paused, and the door opened. He was on them before they could turn on the lights. There was so much blood--he pushed them against the wall.  
“Don’t be afraid of me.” He pleaded, and the person relaxed. He put his face near their neck, like he had seen in movies, and there was a pain in his mouth, and he ran his tongue by the pain. Fangs. He tried to be gentle, and bit at his victim’s neck. Blood tasted good and he was so very hungry--his stomach growled and he sucked harder. Their pulse began to weaken, how long it had been, he had no idea. The lights turned on, he noticed, but nothing was going to distract him from feeding.  
Suddenly, he lifted his head towards a familiar noise, and was yanked away from his victim.  
He breathed, and turned around. Achilles. Patroclus licked his lips free of blood, his fangs retracting.  
“Holy shit.” Achilles cursed, but he couldn’t tell if it was the fangs or the--  
“Oh shit.” The vampire cursed, and bit into his wrist, his fangs appearing for a moment.  
He held his wrist to his victim.  
“Drink this.” He pleaded. The person, Alex, by the name on their scrubs, nodded and began sucking at his wrist.  
“What the hell is going on?” Achilles asked. Patroclus ignored him, until the color appeared back in Alex’s cheeks. They let go of his already healed wrist. He looked in their eyes.  
“Forget this happened, forget you ever saw me, okay?” Alex nodded, and left the room, robotically.  
“What the hell?” Achilles asked.  
“Not so loudly.” Patroclus whispered in his ear.  
“You better have a pretty fucking good excuse when we get home,” Achilles hissed.  
“You’re taking me home?” Patroclus asked with a small smile. Achilles was absolutely appalled.  
“Yes, so you don’t feed your blood like an obsessed Twilight fan to some other poor soul,” Achilles said as he grabbed Patroclus by the elbow and dragged him to the car.  
A morbid curiosity overcame Achilles as he was driving. Patroclus seemed to be no longer a sickly creature huddled in a corner and now stronger than Achilles by far.  
“So what happened?” Achilles asked, desperately trying to keep his voice calm and even.  
“This guy came to me and told me everything about how I became a vampire and how he turned me-” Patroclus said before he was intercepted.  
“A vampire?” Achilles asked in disbelief.  
“Yeah, crazy, right. So, anyway, he told me about how I was dead and he made me a vampire and I’m kind of nervous because I think I might of turned Alex, but I don’t really know.” Patroclus sighed.  
“So, you are reasonably sure this vampirism thing is real.” Achilles said.  
“Yes, and reasonably sure that for the most part all the cliches are true.” Patroclus answered.  
“And you would be dead if you weren't a vampire?” Achilles asked. He already decided that even a bloodsucking Patroclus was better than no Patroclus.  
“Are you going to leave me?” Patroclus asked.  
“Never,” Achilles said as he placed a hand on Patroclus’s shoulder.  
***

Once they were inside the house Patroclus felt something stir in the pit of his stomach when he saw Achilles’ grey eyes in the lamplight. Patroclus was suddenly taken by the overwhelming beauty of his husband. His blond hair glowed like polished gold and his pale skin reminded him of all the times he had touched it, soft skin with hard muscles underneath.  
“What?” Achilles asked innocently when he noticed Patroclus staring at him.  
“Can we fuck?” Patroclus asked, knowing Achilles found it harder to resist him when he swore.  
“Well, first off, it’s three am. Second, you just escaped from the hospital and tried to convince me that you’re a vampire. So, I’d have to say the answer is no, not tonight.”  
Patroclus began to grind against him.  
“Are you sure?” He asked his husband. He wanted Achilles more than sleep. He didn’t understand it, it was almost like the blood, but a different kind of hunger. He was hungry for Achilles’s skin to be marked by him, and to kiss his husband until neither of them could breathe. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so intensely passionate.  
“You might be able to convince me.” Achilles said and broke off in a moan when Patroclus began to make a hickey on his neck.  
***

The sunlight filtered through the window and Patroclus lay on the shadowed side of the bed grinning at his husband as he woke.  
“Are you okay?” He asked, pushing back Patroclus’s hair.  
“Never better.” Achilles replied  
The pair delighting in each other’s company. Patroclus was curled against Achilles’ side and Achilles was gently running his hand through his dark curls.  
“Are you going to leave me?” Patroclus asked quietly.  
“Never,” Achilles said.  
“Even though I’m an abomination?” Patroclus whispered.  
“You are not an abomination. We’ll make it work.” If Achilles was sure of anything he was sure of that. Patroclus nuzzled his shoulder affectionately.  
“I do have one question.” Achilles said.  
“And that is?”  
“If you’re a vampire then you have to drink blood. How’s that going to work?” He asked.  
“Well, the plan was to maybe let Briseis in on this and she could bring some home from the hospital and the vampire who turned me said something about vampire groupies and I was kinda going to ask you.” Patroclus said nervously. Achilles did his best to remain calm. “What exactly does that entail?”  
“I bite your neck and drink the blood,” Patroclus said, trying to tread lightly.  
“Okay, Patroclus, I love you and you know I love you, but let’s not do that” Achilles asked.  
“Why not?” Patroclus asked.  
“Well, it sounds like something out of a horror movie for one and I’m not overly fond of the whole possibility of death thing,” Achilles said with a slight smile.  
“Which is totally reasonable,” Patroclus said, also grinning.  
The rest of the day progressed normally, much to Achilles’ surprise, as did the next day. Patroclus even returned to school to teach his classes with the help of some colored contacts and makeup. After work was over, Achilles hurried home to make sure that Patroclus was okay.  
As it turns out, Patroclus was more than okay. When Achilles walked through the door, he saw him perched on the coffee table wrapped in a halloween store black cloak.  
“I want to suck your blood,” Patroclus said in the worst transylvanian accent Achilles had ever heard.  
“You’ve caught me red handed.” Achilles laughed.  
“Great, because I’ve got a surprise to show you,” Patroclus said cheerily as he ran up to their room. Achilles followed excitedly.  
“Isn’t he cute,” Patroclus cooed as he showed Achilles a baby bat wrapped in bath towels.  
“Has it bitten you? Darling, it probably has rabies or something. Please put it back outside,” Achilles said, trying to hide his panic.  
“Please Achilles, can we keep him?” Patroclus pleaded.  
“No, it’s a bat. I’m not even sure that’s legal.”  
“But we found him in the chapel on campus with none of his little bat friends around.” Patroclus said as he batted his thick eyelashes.  
Achilles was such a pushover. “Fine, we can keep him, but when he dies of malnutrition don’t come crying to me.”  
“You know I will anyway,” Patroclus said.  
Achilles smirked, “Then don’t kill it,”  
“I’ve decided to name him Ropalo,” Patroclus said. Achilles smiled. It was nice to see Patroclus so near his normal self.  
That night, the pair made blackberry smoothies after dinner, but Patroclus didn’t seem to have much of an appetite. Achilles noticed as they were cuddling on the couch watching Captain America for the millionth time.  
“What’s wrong, darling?” Achilles asked, gently.  
“It’s nothing,” Patroclus tried to assure him.  
“No really, what is it?”  
“It’s just- I’m thirsty and I didn’t know what to do and now I don’t know how I’m going to get the blood,” Patroclus said as he visibly flinched.  
“Just this once,” Achilles said as he laced Patroclus’s fingers through his own in an attempt to stop their shaking. However, for all his fear, he knew that everything would be aright and that Patroclus would never willingly hurt him.  
“You can feed from me, but only this once. Do I make myself very clear,” Achilles said and Patroclus nodded.  
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. I can think of something” Patroclus said.  
“It’s okay. I’d rather suffer a mild discomfort then you going crazy with bloodlust.” Achilles said.  
Achilles took Patroclus in his arms and they moved to their bedroom. He noticed that Patroclus had been losing weight and it was worrying considering his already slim figure, but he considered that a question for later.  
Achilles settled into the warm blankets and waited. After a moment of hesitation, Patroclus gently kissed Achilles’ lips. He relaxed considerably when Achilles kissed back.  
“Are you ready?” he asked him. Achilles nodded and smiled.  
Satisfied, Patroclus sank his fangs into Achilles’ neck. For a moment, it felt like pins were pricking Achilles, but the the pain subsided and it felt almost pleasurable. He found the lack of pain somewhat strange but chalked it up to adrenalin and endorphins and ignored it. He ran a hand through Patroclus’s hair and placed a kiss on his shoulder. Patroclus took Achilles hand and ran his thumb over his knuckles. Achilles sighed and decided if this was what he had the rest of his life to look forward to, then it would be okay.  
Once Patroclus was finished feeding, he wrapped his arms around Achilles waist. Peaceful silence filled the air and all was calm. Patroclus placed a soft kiss to Achilles' forehead. He could feel his husband's pulse underneath his lips.  
"Are you alright?" He asked.  
"I could not possibly be better," Achilles responded.  
"I love you," Patroclus said as he pressed his nose into Achilles' golden hair.  
"I love you too," he whispered.


End file.
